Sonny Boy

Started out pretty interesting, but like all mystery box series, ended up disappointing by not answering any of the questions raised and left with even more questions. It gets more and more tiresome as it goes on, explaining a bunch of nothing to pretend to be deep. I suppose there is a lot of symbolism going on, but do you who who hides in an excessive amount of symbols to build a mystery box instead of telling a good story? Bad authors. Concepts are introduced and then forgotten about after a few episodes. Characters make nonsense decisions all the time. The MC has so idea what's happening and has no desire to find out it seems. The ending is atrocious, as the MC didn't even fulfill a certain promise he made to another character. How pathetic is he? Art and animation are completely unmemorable. Characters are not really developed at all and are forgettable. The powers of the children are never really explored well. Like most anime of our times, the ending flopped. Ending song is quite good, for a positive. Too little, too late, though. Some of the starting episodes are fine, but because the ending is bad this series cannot be recommended.

Sonny Boy is an experience. A philosophical, poignant, and inventive experience. It would be pretentious to say, "this anime isn't for everyone." Sonny Boy is accessible to everyone, but it demands patience and an open mind. If you're willing to solve this puzzle of an anime, the payoff is worth it. Rewatching it, you will notice clever foreshadowing, irony, and metaphors within the complex story and mesmerizing visuals. Sonny Boy is about an entire class that suddenly shifts into the void—comparable to a sci-fi take on Lord of the Flies. Out of the thirty-six stranded students, a couple dozen of them gain mysterious supernatural abilities. The students clash with each other's values, causing all kinds of interpersonal conflicts. Each argument represents a more significant societal issue. Controversial political topics, including capitalism, totalitarianism, freedom, religion, and authoritarianism, are covered throughout the show. They present these themes objectively. The plot is not straightforward in the slightest. The writers purposefully wove it like a maze. Understanding it requires you to pay close attention. Often I had to rewatch episodes to follow along, pause scenes to process what I saw, or rewind. Understanding fighting a final boss each time—though challenging, the reward is always satisfying. The cycle of confusion, curiosity, and solving the puzzle becomes addictive. Anyone who struggles to understand Sonny Boy is perfectly valid, it is intentionally obtuse, and that's not everyone's cup of tea. Though the complex themes and tangled narrative may lead you to assume the character writing is thin—they are anything but one-dimensional. Rather than focusing on one point of view, the narrative follows multiple students to explore new themes. Nagara, the self-insert protagonist, is at the center of the plot, as the author has confirmed himself. He is one of, if not the best, self-insert lead characters I've seen in anime. Nagara's journey involves finding a reason to live. His arc is a classic coming-of-age story—beginning as a depressed teenager. Along with his friends, especially an eccentric girl named Nozomi, he transforms into a new person. Nagara's deadpan personality makes their dialogue oddly funny, though you must still pay attention. Each person is utilized as a mouthpiece for the author's philosophical musings. Their conflicts in values allow us to peer into his mind. The show is as much of a journey of self-discovery for Nagara as it is for the author. The classmates who accompany him, Nozomi, Mizuhara, Rajidani, and Asakaze, undergo character development. Asakaze is the weakest of the bunch because he grows much less than his friends. He began as an average teenage rebel. He lacked the intriguing background and internal strife of the other, much more compelling characters. Nagahara has a monotonous voice, and he is a coward, but we know why. There is depth to him that's not shoved down our throats. Even though his outlook on life is wildly different from his classmates, they share a goal. Find how they get home and who sent them to the new world, and why. That's what makes Sonny Boy's characters so good—they have motivations. Even though we may not necessarily agree with them, it is obvious why they do the things they do. As the show explains the superpowers and complicated logic of the setting, you will notice character development is seamlessly woven in. We learn about Mizuho's power simultaneously that we know she can create anything she wants. We find Nagara's power when we see him get confronted and anxious, not told through info dumps. The writers treat us like adults. We see characters act out their distinctive personalities then create our judgment. There is one slight exception to this: After the mysteries occur, such as spontaneous blue fires, there will be a follow-up explanation from the most intelligent person in the class: Rajidani. He gathers together the students to lecture them about how their new world works. He does not set rules, unlike the authoritarian student council. He learns as much about reality as possible because his goal is to escape. Rajdhani sticks with the main cast to conduct his intriguing experiments with them. The author develops the multiverse concepts through him: There are days and nights in the alternate world, but the characters do not age or need to change clothes. All of them are permanently stuck as middle schoolers. Through their inability to age, the author pries open the door to eternity; some students find peace, and others futilely attempt to escape their solitude. The anime begins as an inconspicuous middle school drama, moving through group hysteria, personal anguish, then endless lamentation. Sonny Boy is visual poetry. Every setting could be framed in a museum, whether it be shots of nature or the trippy visualization of the multiverse. The atmosphere flows from whimsical, melancholic to cosmic horror—the director's clever use of hard cuts slicing apart the show like a layered cake. Tonal dissonance would typically be a source of criticism, but it illustrates the group dynamic's fragility. When the characters are framed at a distance, they fade into the background like an oil painting. Their figures quietly morph into shapes rather than human forms. This passion project was helmed by Shingo Natsume, known for directing One Punch Man's first season. Given how good the writing is, I'm shocked to see he has never written anything before now. The soundtrack is one of the best of the year—with 20 distinctive tracks. Every instrument works together, the basslines are strong throughout, and the talented singers suit the rhythm. The songs build up and have direction, used to guide the show's narrative. Numerous audio effects combine to make the setting feel grounded and realistic. The sound engineers did not use stock sound effects; they expertly recorded the sounds themselves with foley techniques. Although the audio was overbearing at first, they found their groove as the episodes progressed. Not all is explained in Sonny Boy, but enough is there for vibrant discussion to break out the minute the credits roll at the end of every episode. I've got my theories about all of it, and everyone will walk away from it feeling differently. What's undeniable, though, is the staggering profundity that emerges from a seemingly innocuous experimental anime. This is one we will look back on for years to come.

intro: initially, I was excited about this anime because of the unique art style and me being a fan of abstract anime like tatami galaxy and lain. I thought I'm in for a treat but ended up having flashbacks of my disappointment with boogipop 2019. story and characters: - the only positive thing about this story is that it's an isekai that doesn't have a video game setting with a morally depraved otaku protagonist. - sadly this anime is plagued by long-winded explanations, dialogues, and monologue that are mostly confusing and dull instead of making sense and being intriguing worst-case example being the monkey episode where a character talks about monkeys uninterrupted for almost five minutes and it happens twice with very little things happening dot hack sign couldn't get away with it and it made some sense and answered some questions so you can't either. - anime is a visual medium so show don't tell is an important rule which sonny boy doesn't take advantage of we are told a lot of things instead of being shown especially those that happened during time skips since every episode doesn't pick up right after each episode ends, therefore, time is skipped were character did some explorations and had discussion off-screen therefore at the beginning of a new episode you are bombarded by briefings of information that the characters know and shouldn't be repeating to each other. -lack of tension is an issue for it since there is a lack of urgency for the characters. for example, they are pretty much immortal and one of the characters has the ability of amazong ordering anything she wants so the lack of every day convinces isn't an issue when they were initially stranded. later on, the author tries to fix this by introducing a certain character (war) and the twin episode but he never interacts with our main cast ( at the end war was completely forgotten about) and the twins only hurt each other and the mothed they used seems to only affect them. and when a major character actually died. it didn't have any gravity to it. i didn't even buy it at first but at the end, she is alive and well even tho both versions of her are supposed to be dead. - lack of atmosphere sonny boy lacks energy overall and a gripping atmosphere and mood that sucks you in like with lain and Texhnolyze. going the intellectual route doesn't absolve you of not having an atmosphere in your show they are necessary. - the ending doesn't explain anything and we would few lines describing what happened to every other character showcase how little they mattered - overall, the story lacks cohesion I still can't pick out the central theme or concept it's flushing out. and the ending explains jack shit about the mystories and just glosses over them. I would give it a pass if they weren't the main focus and we weren't constantly being baited by them and got an actual focus on theme exploration instead of being bombarded by different concepts. - the characters are mostly two-dimensional and forgettable I can't remember the names I only distinguish them by nicknames like star boy, cats girl and pixi girl etc., and even most people who seem to like it use it too. side characters are mostly underdeveloped and some only show up for one episode or have very little impact on the story. Art and animation and ost: - I like the art style it has a retro feel to it but the animation, on the other hand, is average there isn't any animation sequence that left an impression on me or made me think. this is not what an abstract anime should be. there isn't a lot of visual storytelling available. - the directing is on the bland side as well it reminds me of boogipop 2019 directing and how dull it was which is obvious since both have the same director i don't know why when he direct anime that tries to be smart or artsy he presents it as boring as possible and extremely convoluted seriously they don't have to be. with good directing and shot composition, they can be made easier to comprehend Masaki Yuasa proved it can be done. - the ost with exception of the ed is none existent it tries to go for a minimalist approach with using ambit sounds like with lain but unlike lain which used it to make the viewer unsettled and creeped out before it goes crazy sonny boy didn't go anywhere with it wasn't trying to build an atmosphere and as a result, it felt empty. - near the end, the anime tries to fix a lot o the issues I mentioned but sadly it's too little too late. overall impressions : - sonny boy comes across to me as pretentious instead of smart because of the constant need to bombard the viewer with scientific terminology instead of making actual sense and having theme exploration. if you want depth or smart shows check out lain, Ergue proxy, Texhnolyze, zegapian, Shinseki yuri, and ghost in the shell (both versions). PS, it's really ironic that I'm recommending some anime that casual anime fans call pretentious haha.

The worst anime I have ever seen. The plot is the flawed attempt of a wannabe hipster-mastermind author willing to create something artsy and eccentric. Nothing makes sense, there's a lot of rambling. Art is good though, minimalistic with great colours. Animation is ok. Sound... well, there is no sound. No background music. Another weird attempt that IMO is only the result of laziness. The ending song is good. Characters are empty, it's almost impossible to get close to them. The overall experience is bad, it's not enough to create something that breaks the codes of the genre to call it original. Monogatari series are far above this pile of cr@p. I wasted 4 hours of my life watching this anime.

A boring and bland anime, media is for entertainment; that's the main purpose. Everything else is a bonus, so it doesn't matter what the message, point, or purpose of the story is if it's not entertaining first. There is no music, and the characters are mostly boring, especially Nagara. The mystery is pretty much a waste of time; it leads to nothing truly interesting, and the finale is underwhelming, just like the rest of the show. Now, it's not without its positives: the artsy scenes are cool, Nazomi is an entertaining character to watch, and so is the cat girl (I'm bad with names). The lack of music or any sound design, really, does make you feel like you are there with them, and that has a charm to it. It's what kept me going and not quitting the show, well, that and constantly hoping something good would come out of it, even though it never does. Overall, I was left extremely disappointed.

Some call Sonny Boy a masterpiece, But others call it a mess. Many proclaim it philosophical, Yet many more say it’s nonsense. I’ll tell you what it certainly is; It isn’t easy to watch. It doesn’t concern itself with traditional story beats, or really a coherent plot. It doesn’t concern itself with explaining the world, or telling you what the characters think. It doesn’t concern itself with making sense. The harder you try to understand, The more you become lost, Until you wonder what anybody could see in this show. But surrender yourself to the journey, And maybe you’ll find your way to the light. And the light is something beautiful.

Sonny Boy is as abstract and arthouse as an anime will get. There's no denying it's not for everyone. The lack of music or any sort of score for the majority of the show leaves the anime with this empty despondent feeling. There are no fights or high emotional moments to sink your teeth into the drama. It doesn't help that the world-building is hard to follow if your eyes aren't glued to the subtitles. To top it all off if you're not a fan of the minimalistic art style from the likes of Yuasa Masaaki's work then this show probably won't peak your interest. To me, all these unconventional ways of telling a story are what makes Sonny Boy a modern classic. It's not shackled to the conventions of what I like to call 'anime-isms', the reaction noises, tropes and Japanese only experiences. Sonny Boy tells you from the start, literally not having an opener or any visual queue the episode is about to begin, that it's not like other anime. This show is deep. I don't mean EVA deep, but it's the closest comparison. The show dives deep into nuanced ideas of philosophy, psychology, existentialism that modern anime does a u-turn on when even breathing in that direction. It's not afraid to be murky. It's a show you could watch over and over again and find a new way to see these age-old ideas. How do you govern? What's the purpose of life? What are we in this world to do? The show reads like a great Dostoevsky novel. Each character embodies a world view and the show writer and director Natsume, Shingo (on his first outing no less) are able to put these characters in a scene and let their ideas breathe. Personified by their powers, the characters combat each other and it's up to you the viewer to decide the legitimacy of their morals. And that's just ONE way to see this show. I'm not surprised if that or the other perspectives on this show I've seen are completely wrong or right or somewhere in the middle. That's what makes this show great. We will look back on this show and see how amazing it was for the time it came out. It's abstract, it's deep, its thought provoking, the art style is charming, the music when it plays HITS, the characters are realer than can be. Sonny boy is an instant classic and it requires a nuanced look.

A highly controversial series that manages to be one of my all time favorite anime. Some phrases I’ve heard people describe this anime are pretentious, confusing, and poorly written. Time and time again I’ve made it my duty to dispel these claims. For it’s an impeccable feat that a show was able to exceptionally portray themes of growing up and taking on the world after highschool. Showing such a daunting period of our lives that’s typically portrayed as daunting in a more optimistic light. This is a show that gets better with each rewatch. During my initial viewing I was perplexed by all the various themes at play, that I let the show kick my ass. Taking mental notes and preparing myself for the next round. Though as it aired, I and many others, while understanding the general narrative, were doing our best to fully understand the bigger picture and what could happen next. This is a show that keeps you thinking and on your toes as it dishes out a flurry of double entendres, unique world views, and giving perspective credence to unpopular opinions. How can a show that touches on various existential subject matter be able to have a message clear as day for how to live your best life? Sonny Boy is an utterly creative, and inventive expedition that requires the viewer’s utmost patience and thoughtfulness to get the full experience. The story tackles various subject matter in dangerously meta-ways that usually pertain to growing up and acclimating to society after highschool. As well as philosophical topics such as death and what it means to truly be alive, if ignorance is truly bliss, just how much control do we have in our lives, and how one’s inability to move on can hurt others more than themselves. The ideas and topics go far beyond what I mentioned, and due to the abstract presentation of the show’s themes, what one person might see as a logical explanation can be completely left field from somebody else’s. Although the concepts the show presents can be left up to personal interpretation, the story itself is rather straightforward. Nagara is a third year middle school student who has a terrible home life and no future aspirations. It’s implied that he initially thinks life is meaningless upon refusing to help a dying bird, possibly alluding to himself being suicidal. A genki know-it-all transfer student takes an interest in Nagara, and tries befriending him. Moments after their introduction to each other, their school goes, “adrift” into a black void, where the students have powers, and find themselves struggling for a purpose in this new world as returning to their old world seems less and less likely. And that is all I will touch on for the premise, for I hold the initial viewing experience for Sonny Boy in such high regard. The events placed throughout the show can mean different things to different people. Making the discussion always fun and a great way to postulate the different perspectives and feelings this show evokes in people. Even the director Shingo Natsume admitted to the staff having a mixed reaction towards the ending. One portion feeling extremely positive about the end, and the other feeling depressed by it. I fall into the former camp of considering my belief that this to have one of the most uplifting messages in all of anime, and though I won’t spoil anything, I’ll say that the feeling and message I took away from this is what I assume many first time viewers of EVA also had. And for the record I do prefer this over EVA, but I digress. I can speak for most when I say this in regards to more anime than just sonny boy, but I was euphoric upon finding out that we can’t read or hear the thoughts of the characters. Okay well, we can in one episode, but that’s not the point. The point is, the show isn’t lazy with its characterization of the cast. You get a feel for Nagara being depressed through his reluctance to help the bird, a feel for Mizuho’s standoff vibe with her confiding in her cats and away from everyone else, a feel for Yamabiko’s loyalty through his tale, and a feel for a certain blue monkey who’s exceptional ability at baseball. The characters all have fine-distinctions that make their inclusion and departure from the story felt throughout. It’s through the cast’s developing an understanding of their predicament and seeing them grow, or stagnate in some cases, that the show feels surreal. One of the best parts of this series is how each episode is distinctly unique from the last. Not that it’s an episodic series, but the show isn’t afraid to jump forward in time or show various other universes outside the one of the main events we follow. It’s in these episodes that we have some of the most gorgeous, refined, and hypnotic visuals I’ve seen in such a long time. As if rewatching this show isn’t already a blast, the visuals make it an absolute pleasure. From bright and sunny beaches, to a vast golden grain field, to hyperspace, to the most abstract location you can imagine, the art, animation, and background left me pausing and admiring the art numerous times. The character designs are also unique. Looking life-like but lacking detail in their face and body. Each character is easily distinguishable on their silhouette alone. With the colors being bright, distinct and simple, this show does a phenomenal job of using complementary colors. And fret not for the soundtrack is also just as delightful as I’ve put it on in the background many times, and have the ED (both versions) forever imprinted on my memory after watching this series three times as of writing this. Back to the question at hand, How can a show that touches on various existential subject matter be able to have a clear message for how to live your best life? I think the most obvious message from the story is to not remain stagnant in your life and that just because times may be hard for you now, doesn't mean that they'll always be that way. And that it's always worth seeing what the future holds for us, and to tackle our fears head on. The changes Nagara makes at the end of the story is tremendous in how realistically we must take life with both its success and failures as it goes. I can see why some people may see Nagara's smile at the end as off putting or artificial. But to me, he looked like he was mentally equipped to take on whatever the world was ready to throw his way. As for all the vast worlds and lessons they took from each world, it always was full of struggle, but they still made it through. The real world is just another struggle he has to deal with and much like the previous worlds, he managed to conquer and overcome them even if those around him failed to take a step back and see things for what they truly are. And lastly, If you could dream for eternity, eventually you would get very bored because nothing was dictated against you. You'd want to stop being lucid just to have a genuine experience, regardless of how mundane it is. Like I said, it’s one of the most optimistic anime out there, contrary to popular belief. If you don’t see it that way, that’s okay, because that’s part of the fun.

It's an aimless show trying to be deep that doesn't really say or mean anything. It's not really emotional, it doesn't delve deeply into anything brought up, it's fast paced enough to keep watching and waiting for it to go somewhere or explain anything, but it doesn't. By explain, I mean anything that matters. It wasn't painful to sit through, it just feels like a waste after watching the entire thing. The art was good but it feels like there was no substance. The only way I could see someone rating this show highly outside of the art is by viewing it all as some metaphor, but that would essentially just be inventing a better show in your own head and filling in all the gaps yourself. If it's just a show about growing up it seems poorly done. It doesn't really say anything meaningful, it doesn't evoke any thoughts or emotions. There's no deeper meaning you're missing, and thinking about it too much would only make it more disappointing. It's not actually complicated, they just throw a bunch of shit out there, don't explain it, just say everything's random and meaningless but also deities and magic exist, then throw out more random shit until it ends. It's not scientific, it's not esoteric, it's just a shell. The characters are shallow, they don't really change in any meaningful way, so many things just get dropped and forgotten about. The show will even go on with a character talking and talking instead of showing a scene, I don't know if that was for budgetary reasons, or if they thought it was a good idea. It also doesn't really explore human psyche or the way society works, maybe that was the intent, but it fails at that. The stakes and consequences of actions are nonexistent most of the time, because people can't die, except sometimes. No one really behaves like a person when you think about it. Everyone seemed angry about being in a world where they can't die or age, they're effectively immortal, and many even have magic powers. As you've probably realized around the time of this review, people fear death and would do almost anything to avoid it, even something irrational that wouldn't help. Yet it's never brought up. Whatever the creators were going for, it just ended up being poorly done.

This is the first review I've written. I wanted to write one of this show because I wanted to sort out my thoughts on it. I've been having trouble putting it into words so this is what I've got. I love Sonny Boy. At its heart, it's a coming of age story, a weird, confusing, beautiful, obtuse one. In my opinion, it's not a show that wants to be understood on any level, necessarily (though it's clear to me that it can be, it's just not something that's at the forefront if that makes sense). It's more a show you feel. I don't know how else to say it but the vibes are really impeccable. It's about acceptance I think, of the things you can and can't do, the things that do and don't change, about the person you are and the person you could be, and how you deal with all of those things. I'm not going to pretend like I understand the show because I don't, there are parts I understood but definitely not all of it. And I'm not going to pretend as if the show isn't confusing and obtuse, because it is. But I can't help but feel it was all very purposeful. That it's in service of something. It feels very earnest and that's something I can appreciate. Not everyone is going to like Sonny Boy, it isn't a show made for wide appeal and that's okay. For anyone wondering if it's something they should pick up, I'd recommend it if you can deal with something confusing and obtuse. And if you think you'd enjoy something based solely on the feelings it elicits. There were many times I wasn't completely certain of what was going on but I was certainly feeling the impact of things. And that's a little like growing up isn't it? If I had any tips for someone wanting to watch the show it's simply to get lost in it and enjoy the ride. I ended up crying by the end.

Personal Stats: As of May 2025, I’ve completed 159 anime with a mean score of 7.32. Sonny Boy rating: 4/10. Sonny Boy is one of those anime that aims to be deep, symbolic, and mysterious - but for me, it completely missed the mark. I gave it a 4/10, and honestly, I feel like I was being generous. It falls into the "weird anime" category, but this one is the bad kind of weird. Nothing really connects. The plot is all over the place, the world-building is vague at best, and worst of all, it never tries to explain itself in a satisfying way. Each episode feels like it's trying to say something profound, especially about adolescence and the transition from the "closed space" of school into the unknown world beyond - but it never lands. The characters don’t help either. Their designs are so flat and similar that I sometimes couldn’t even tell who was who. And even when I could, most of them either lost their purpose or started acting in ways that made no sense. It felt like the show wanted me to interpret every scene like a metaphor, but gave me nothing to work with. You can find people online pointing out symbolic parallels, but even then, it just doesn't feel meaningful - it feels forced. What’s most frustrating is that Sonny Boy had potential. The first few episodes were intriguing and gave the sense that something bigger and smarter was coming. But halfway through, it just unraveled. I stuck with it mostly because I was hoping it would get better - and also because I already have too many dropped anime. Thankfully, it’s short, so finishing it wasn’t too painful. Overall, Sonny Boy tried to be something special but ended up feeling empty and frustrating. I respect creative risks, but in this case, the execution just didn’t work.

Here's what I will say if someone asked me what was Sonny Boy, Watching Sonny Boy was like walking through an art gallery where half the pieces make you pause and think, while the other half leave you scratching your head. It's abstract and unapologetically strange, like a fever dream. The story drops you into a group of students lost in a dimension, then a new world; after that, it will tingle everything you know about the science of alternate dimensions, quantum possibilities, and the subjective nature of reality. It delves into concepts like the breakdown of physical laws, the influence of individual perception on existence, and the interplay of cause and effect in multiversal settings yeah fuck. Some characters make an impact; others feel like whispers in the wind there hard to hold on to. And that's fine, because the focus isn't always on them but on "the ideas floating around them." (the cats were perfect.) The visuals? Bold and experimental, matching the unsteady tone of the narrative, plus pretty to look at. The soundtrack? Perfectly aligned with the mood, sometimes calming, sometimes unsettling, the ending song 🤌 (episodes 10, 11 and 12 those fuckers didn't translate 4 songs, had to go to YouTube 😮‍💨). But the real star is the concept: a story that doesn’t spoon-feed answers. It challenges you to decide what it means, if it means anything at all. At times, I found myself overthinking, wondering if there was some hidden thread I missed. Maybe there was. Maybe there wasn’t. That’s Sonny Boy for you. It’s the kind of show that leaves gaps for you to fill—or ignore—depending on how much you want to engage. (I had enough headaches.) It’s not for everyone, and it’s not flawless, but it’s something I appreciated. Like abstract art, it’s there to be experienced, not explained. For me, it was a fascinating, if slightly overwhelming, watch. Oh, and about the ending, he took a chance and...

<<SPOILER-FREE REVIEW>> ENG/ESP ENG I've never wrote a review before, but right after finishing this I had the urgency to write down my feelings concerning it: The anime industry has gone a long way evolving by its own means. From series such as 'Astro Boy' or 'Heidi', all the way to the action-packed 'Jujutsu Kaisen' and 'MHA', just to name a few. We've seen it all. And rightfully we had! This medium has always standed out to me for its natural aptitude and resources that let authors bring to life whatever comes to their mind. This is exactly what Madhouse did with Sonny Boy. Yeah, it's been a while since we last saw Madhouse around here, as it also has since we last saw such an ambicious project. In order to come back with a bang, they gave Shingo Natsume and his team full rein to their creativity and imagination, it was really noticeable and it's to be appreciated, even more in this age of gross consumption and overexposure that we are exposed to, and in which animation studios and licensors compete in. The show's premise is an interesting turn of what we nowadays call an 'isekai', but taking distance from them in an original and simple manner. All right, a group of highschoolers got transportated to a limbo-esque dimension and most of them got unique powers. How would they realistically take action in such a situation? Do they care on returning to their homes? How do they feel? Sonny Boy bears in mind all these questions and solves them in a logical way, making them part of the plot, whereas the cast unravels the mysteries that world bring with it. And that's just as far as the concrete plot is concerned, cause just by this description you can already understand the potential this premise has as for embracing different types of issues. And precisely that is one of the greatest strengths of the series. As the social communication student and the social studies and philosophy buff that I am, Sonny Boy really got me in. Each episode carries with it a specific meaning. In adittion, we can find on them philosophical and social discussions held between the characters as casual as they would be in a conversation between friends at dawn. Yet they also deal with themes allegorically, such as capitalism, jobs, religion, life, death, etcetera, all of them proceed from a major theme in the series: self discovery. Nagara is the one to purely embody this theme, however, we'll see most part of the cast dealing with it as well; Nozomi, Mizuho and Asakaze are good examples, though they will have to deal with other related issues too. For that reason I find difficult to talk of one single protagonist here; the story is set from a neutral stand, from which we observe the characters personalities and ideologies and make out our own conclusions about each one of them. The anime keeps a slow pace throughout its whole, making honor to the 'frozen' world it takes place in: time and plot don't seem to move forward. Nevertheless, the series relies heavily on its characters, whose interactions and attitudes will be crucial in their development and, there so, the development of the plot. Attention to detail is highly rewarded, and rewatching it is really beneficial in order to understand specific events, and spot subtle references and some foreshadowing. All of that speaks wonders of Shingo Natsume's script, which is unbelievably his first writing work. At moments, the writing and dialogues made me reminiscent of the literary format, in particular of the spanish baroque, counting with a handful of cathartic moments along the series, where the characters take sense, finally deciding on whether to take a step forward or not; moments that bring a huge and unique emotional charge. Nonetheless , the series does take full advantage of the means the medium has to offer and complements them sublimely to the script. The direction work is magnificent: the shot composition is really well thought, and combined with the neat and distinctive art it turns every single frame into a wallpaper nominee to decorate your room with. Silence predominates strongly, giving dialogues even more magnitude than before and making stand out the seiyuus great performances. In any case, each one of the few musical pieces that make up the OST are fantastic and crucial to the setting and transmitting emotions, aspect in which Sonny Boy shines as bright as the sun. It doesn't appear to have that big of a production behind, but the work is solid and consistent in every single area and fills the Sonny Boy world with life and an own style. I saw many people reluctant to Sonny Boy, labeling it as too 'convoluted' and 'pretencious', but I gotta make clear that its value isn't solely from its narrative complexity. Yes, every detailed and unconventional type of story fan is indeed gonna love this, but, in my case, I found much more satisfaction from figuring out some of the allegories and contrasting them to their 'real life' meanings than dissecting the narrative in detail. Sonny Boy is just an excuse to pause for a second, think over and be introspective. Is an excuse to connect with oneself. It's an anime that requires a fair amount of dedication by the viewer, but that in exchange will offer a unique experience and from which you'll not be able to take its images away from your mind. I'm convinced that as the time goes by Sonny Boy will get its deserved recognition and I highly suggest you to not drift off your eyes from this artwork. ESP Nunca había hecho una review, pero después de terminar esta serie tenía la necesidad de poner en palabras mis sentimientos al respecto de la misma: La industria del anime lleva ya un largo camino evolucionando mediante sus propios medios. Desde los "Astro Boy" y los "Heidi", hasta las llenas de acción "Jujutsu Kaisen" y "MHA", por nombrar a alguna que otra. Sin duda hemos visto de todo. El medio del anime siempre me ha llamado particularmente la atención por su configuración natural que permite a los diferentes autores darle vida a cualquier idea loca que se les venga a la cabeza. Y esto es exactamente en lo que se concentró Madhouse al hacer Sonny Boy. Ha pasado un buen tiempo desde la última vez que vimos a Madhouse en la industria, así como también desde la última vez que me encontrara con un proyecto tan ambicioso como éste. Con la intención de volver con todo, le dieron completa libertad a Shingo Natsume y su equipo de hacer lo que quisieran, lo cual se nota y aprecia muchísimo, más aún en esta época de consumo burdo y sobreexposición a la que estamos expuestos, y en la que se supone que los estudios de animación y licenciadoras deben competir para lograr ganancias y hacer negocio. La premisa de la serie le da un giro interesante a lo que hoy llamaríamos "Isekai", pero logrando distanciarse de estas de una manera simple. Tenemos un grupo de adolescentes que fueron repentinamente transportados a una dimensión parecida a un limbo, donde la mayoría fueron dotados de poderes. ¿Cómo actuarían realísticamente en dicha situación? ¿Les importa volver a su hogar? ¿Cuáles son sus pensamientos y cómo se sienten al respecto? Sonny Boy tiene en cuenta todas estas preguntas y las va resolviendo de manera lógica, volviéndolas parte de la trama, a la par que el elenco de personajes desentraña los misterios que ese nuevo mundo trae consigo. Esto en lo que respecta a la trama "concreta", porque solo mediante esta descripción ya se puede comprender el potencial de la premisa para abarcar multiplicidad de problemáticas y temas de reflexión. Y justamente esa es una de las mayores fortalezas de la serie. Como el estudiante de comunicación y aficionado de las ciencias sociales y filosofía que soy, realmente Sonny Boy apela a mis preferencias personales, de manera que logra un gran impacto en mí. Cada uno de los capítulos llevan consigo un mensaje específico y un significado particular. Podemos encontrar en ellos debates filosóficos y sociales entre los personajes de manera total…

Personally, I love this show, and it ranks in my top three favorites. I'm not going to pretend that I understand everything about it, but that's part of its charm for me. Every day, I find myself thinking about a scene I didn't quite grasp before, and when it suddenly clicks, I get a sense of joy from finally understanding what it meant. The plot does an excellent job of maintaining a shroud of mystery that dangles tantalizingly in front of me, keeping me captivated and always wanting more. The characters are incredibly intriguing and well-developed, each with their unique personalities that shine through. Mizuho and her cats add a whimsical touch, while Nagaza's personal struggles provide depth and relatability. My personal favorite, Nozomi, being the compass at the end, really stuck with me. Her role as a guiding force adds a layer of symbolism that resonates deeply. What I particularly appreciate about the show is how it balances complexity with emotional depth. It's not just about piecing together the plot; it's also about connecting with the characters on a personal level. Mizuho's interactions with her cats aren't just cute moments—they reflect her nurturing nature and desire for companionship. Nagaza's battles with his personal issues aren't just plot points; they highlight his resilience and vulnerability, making him a character I root for despite his flaws. Nozomi, as the compass, symbolizes direction and purpose, which adds a profound layer to the narrative. Her character arc is not just about her own journey but also about how she influences and guides those around her. The fact that she becomes this symbol at the end encapsulates her growth and the impact she's had on the story and the other characters. The show's ability to weave these intricate character arcs with a plot full of suspense and mystery is what makes it truly remarkable. It's a series that challenges you to think and feel deeply, rewarding you with moments of clarity and emotional resonance. Each viewing brings new insights and appreciation, making it a show that continues to grow on you over time.

This anime feels like a weird fever dream. Did any of these happened? Did I actually watched this or did I just imagine myself watching this? I don't know. It's like, I understand everything that's happening, but I would rather take an exam rather than explain this anime in full details. The story is pretty weird and strange. This is the kind of story which leaves the audience on their own interpretation of the events that happened. For others, it may seem like the middle part of the animme is pretty pointless with the monkey and baseball and sh*ts, but for others, it may hold some kind of symbolism and references, etch. I'm on the middle of the two since I understand the symbolism, but at the same time I think that it's pretty pointless because it didn't really accomplish anything. There's no development for the characters nor anything to move the plot forward. It's just there to confuse the hell out of the audiences. The characters are some of the blandest cast I've ever seen thus far. Mizuho the Best Girl and Rajdhani the chad are the only characters that I'm interested in this anime. The remaining cast are pretty forgettable and underdeveloped because the anime focused more on the bizzare sh*ts that happening instead of developing the characters. The animation is pretty good. It's fluid because of the simplicity of the art, but the quality of the art gets worst as the animation gets more fluid. The music is decent. The ost is pretty good and the ending theme is a banger. Nothing really much to say. Overall, it's just a bizzare forgettable anime. I can't really recommend this to casual fans cause it'll just confuse the hell outta them. (5.2/10)

Rarely does a piece of media affect me as much as Sonny Boy has. The plot doesnt make much sense, in my opinion, but that is not the thing I loved about it. I was in a bad mental place when I watched it and the shit Nagara goes through just felt so real and authentic. This def fucked me up big time. Oh yeah, the music is insanely good, I mean one of the best OSTs to come out of an anime in my opinion. Favourite track being "Sonny boy rhapsody": nagara and mizuho ran, this track cued and I cried.

The plot is pointless. Not pointless because it lacks coherency, but because the viewer should view this anime as the main character does: a tornado of nonsense happening in all directions without any purpose. If you try to burn your head with theories and explanations of events, you'll miss what really matters: the adventure. From a scifi adventure point of view, this anime is a solid 10/10. A masterpiece of reality altering stories. It's a 9/10 for one reason: it could be told in 5-6 episodes. Making it 12 just increases headache for no reason. Please, watch the world as it unfolds, without trying to fit every piece into a bigger puzzle. This anime is not about that. Mystery is not the purpose, but the adventure of going back to the reality where you belong even if you are not happy there, because it's where you belong.

The world is confusing. No one knows how to properly navigate it. You’ll get a grasp on it eventually and there might be people to help you out, but one day you might also drift apart. That’s a very sad notion, but it also one that reminds us of one thing: what we lived has value, those memories of old are meaningful and our connections to other people will continue to shape us long after those relations are over. Sonny Boy is not subtle in its commentary about getting lost in the world and society. The characters are all transported to a world in which their school is the whole extent of said world. Everything beyond it is pitch black; you can reach for it, but you don’t know what you’ll be getting yourself into. Inside, teenagers try to make it into a functional society, but are obviously all lacking in resources and life experience to do so. Some people are more talented or stronger than others, and that is enough for social bubbles to emerge. I’m sure most of us can relate to the notion that we are getting left behind, that other people are finding their careers, finding what they are good at, have a decent idea of what their life will be like once they step out of school or even already have a future guaranteed, but we — or I — always feel like the outcast. As someone who spent their whole teen days knowing the only path I could pursue in life was the path of art — which ultimately led me to turn to literature —, I can highly relate to coming of age stories and the anxiety of stepping into adulthood. I can barely manage adulthood even after having been an adult for supposedly four years and “getting ready” — you eventually learn that school is not as good of a leeway into working life as you were led to expect — for it for many more years, so I can see a lot of myself in these character’s emotions, struggles and decisions. Nagara is the closest thing to a stand-in for the audience in this show, but has enough of a personality that he does not come out as simply self-insert material. Being an introvert does not mean you don’t have a personality, it just means yours doesn’t come out as much, especially in such a confusing age and place where opening yourself up to others is hard when you don’t know how they will react and harder still when you might not even understand why you feel the way you feel. Nagara’s character is used to talk about others' expectations in a very direct way in a couple of episodes, as well as the importance of social connections, while the “speaking up for yourself'' part is also shared mainly with Mizuho. I am surprised to see Mizuho not being revealed as a transgender character later in the series, since she is reading Stop!! Hibari-kun! In her first appearance, a 1981 manga about a transgender girl going through school who also turns out to be the daughter of a yakuza. Mizuho is by far the easiest character for me to relate to because of this, because of her relation to cats — I have more than twenty of them, it has gotten out of control, someone please help —, because I would have loved to look similar to her through my teenage days — having come out as a transgender girl myself after over a decade of suffering with gender dysphoria — and because she is just very entertaining to watch on screen. I also love her voice; Yuuki Aoi sounds like she is very close to the microphone when speaking just like how all the other characters are doing, which couples with the anime’s more simplistic art style dedicated to giving each character more distinct facial features instead of just telling everyone apart from their hair color, these being techniques that invite a lot more intimacy from the audience and drags them closer to the characters and, by extension, the themes. Having said that, something about Yuuki Aoi’s voice just entices me. I believe she communicates Mizuho’s melancholic and occasionally smug personality with impressive effectiveness. Of course, the character’s don’t stand in school for long. The first episode’s arc is a very self-contained one about rules, authority and the dangers of it, in which losing said authority leads a kid to hit another one with a baseball bat in the head. Power is a dangerous thing, it messes with our morals, it makes us scared of risking it and can be used both for good and for evil, even by the same person. Give someone too much power and it’s a matter of time and circumstance until you get yourself a war. I believe the first episode was presented this way with airing conditions in mind. Sonny Boy overall lands itself incredibly well on the style of episodic storytelling with a narrative and thematic throughline to glue it all together, honestly one of the best I have seen yet in that department. Making a first episode that presents the audience with a simple premise in a restricted environment is a great way to ease the viewer into the story. That structure gets quickly expanded upon as Nozomi takes a leap of faith towards the unknown world, and all the students now find themselves on a new island and with the information that there are many “This Worlds”. All weird places that no one understands exactly, all connected in some fashion that they are still to uncover, and all of it can be conquered by the kids’ specific powers — talents, as they are thematically shown to be — and give them different rewards that they then have to learn how to use. It is not hard to see what that means: its plot significance is one of adding flavor and mystery to the world to better mark the student’s progress as they peel off the mechanics of these worlds little by little, but its thematic significance is one of putting your talents and skills to use and being rewarded for your work. However, that is just the first episode and there are eleven more to go. Yes, I’ll be going through this commenting “briefly” about what stood out to me in every episode, which I never do, but this anime is an exception and it deserves it. Full on spoilers from now on, you have been warned. Each episode deals with a couple of different themes but there are always one or two clearly main ones. The series is more interested in discussing these themes in its surreal world than properly grounding every facet of the worldbuilding, which is totally unnecessary once you are shining so many lights on the relevance of the themes above everything else. Yes, the anime has a lot of small little mechanics the characters need to understand about each world, but these mechanisms are generally intrinsically tied to the theme of each world, so don’t expect the type of worldbuilding we are used to seeing. It is not important that we know everything about the island, how far apart things are and where everything is being built, it is more important that we understand how the characters react to their environment and how they communicate — or attempt to — through said world. Episode two, for instance, leads to the canonical creation of cryptocurrency by everyone’s dearest Rajdhani, but really the important aspect of it is commenting on how a society gets formed à la Lord of the Flies. There are other elements to this episode, such as Mizuho having to speak for herself as I commented earlier, the fact that value is attached to things by our own decisions and how this value can be altered through the means in which these things are obtained, but episode two is still primarily about introducing Mizuho’s character and her struggles with being a kid who wants to be more than just a kid. I particularly love the fact that at no point does the plot judge Mizuho for having a crush on her teacher. That sort of stuff happens. She can’t be blamed for developing feelings for a figure she sees as a guiding light in a twisted world. We are very clearly led to understand that she decided to wear a ring not because she was in an actual relationship with him, but because she saw that as a stating of her own maturity. Other characters later bring atte…

Sonny Boy is one of those shows where it definitely has some ideas, but it doesn’t know what those ideas are or how to express them. When it does try to express them, it is pretty vague or has no meaning. The show centers around a group of highschoolers who develop supernatural powers for no reason and find themselves in a different world. They end up traveling to different “worlds” trying to find their way back home. A lot of random stuff kind of just happens, and you don’t know why. The characters do have their own personal feelings they are working through. That’s what you’d expect from teenagers. That part makes sense. It’s just that none of them are that interesting. It’s hard to say whether they’re even driving the story forward. Half way through the show, these kids find out that they are just one of many different versions of themselves. I guess there are multiple universes. Also their principal, or used to be principal, is God. Apparently he didn’t choose them as the main ones. So they get to live in purgatory forever. From there they all just kind of wander around until everything goes back to normal in the end. This show sucks because it fails in every aspect. The characters are bland and uninteresting. The plot makes no sense, and any themes it may have are extremely vague. The whole time I’m asking myself how much are the main characters doing and how much is “God?” I don’t think it matters either way. While I don’t care for the show at all, I do understand the appeal. It’s a bunch of kids in a situation they have little to no control over, trying to figure out who they are. The plot is just there to facilitate them. It just isn’t good at it. That’s why it was a slightly below average experience for me.

Sonny Boy is an extremely inconsistent anime in many aspects. There are excellent episodes and underwhelming episodes; there are well-developed characters and terribly handled characters. It’s easy to get swayed by the excellent episodes, as they are animated outstandingly, and the idea it presents is amplified with the aesthetic. Episode 8 and 12 are the most beautifully animated, has the best music, and actually has solid writing because they are easily self-contained episodes. However, judging Sonny Boy as a series, it has a lot of crises in handling its worldbuilding, characters and consequently its overall narrative. Sonny Boy has three things going for it, the bizarre worldbuilding, the philosophical topics and teenage drama. In the drifting setting, many kinds of world can be created, and any kinds of rule will apply to them. By using such a limitless worldbuilding, Sonny Boy is able to present topics about society and individual well-being in creative and aesthetic ways. The freedom to create is wonderful, but it comes with a cost. In worldbuilding, there has to be fundamental rules in the world, if not, it would be too chaotic and randomized to make sense. In Sonny Boy, the first rule that applies to every drifting world was “everyone is in a state of stasis”, which simply means everyone is immortal. You would think that such a powerful rule would play importance in the plot. But it was only after the rule was abolished or denied that the anime starts making use of it as a topic in the second last episode… verbally. There was also the idea that some students have superpowers, while some don’t. That idea was introduced right at the beginning, discussed at the beginning, then discarded right after, every relevant character has superpower after episode 6. Another example would be the “power holdover”, basically a magic tool, hinted to be the key of escaping the drifting world, but isn't exactly so. Throughout the show, many interesting mechanics or elements are introduced, only to be discarded before being explored to their fullest potential. They were merely just tools for storytelling, an episodic storytelling at that, which means these tools don’t even last more than one episode. A lot of setup and ideas are introduced along the way, yet a lot of contradictions, inconsistencies follow. How did Nagara and Mizuho's powers exactly caused the drifting, wasn't it God's plan? Why can't Nozomi see the light between ep. 6 and the final ep, when there still is a way out (and she finds it)? Sonny Boy has trouble following its own theories and ideas, making it hard for audience as well to follow the fundamentals of its world. In the end, the show says fuck it all, and pretty much concluded emotionally, with little regard to the worldbuilding and mechanics beforehand. Aside from the technical stuffs, Sonny Boy handles a lot of its characters, especially antagonists, in the most disgusting way. The very first crime they did, was to murder Hoshi. Hoshi was initially supposed to be our villain. He had a hypocritical manipulative demeanour, and intended to lead his classmates to a bad end due to the voices inside his head. Unfortunately, Hoshi’s evildoing never really made any impact, he was failing his evil quota. So what did his demon boss hiding behind the fourth wall did? Of course, let me grant Hoshi a new pow- YEEEEEEEEEET the fuck out of here, you piece of Horshit! Hoshi at certain climax where he was supposed to foil our hero, Nagara’s plan, in an instant turned into a submissive bitch, a supporting character for Nagara just because Nagara was winning. All that evil demeanour? Gone like the wind. The voices inside his head? He forgot about them as fast as he believed in them. Hoshi was surgically removed from the show right when he could play a role, wasting his time and buildup as an antagonist. Then Hoshi’s death was completely replaced by Ms Aki, a big boobed secretary of “God”. She was more aggressive in condemning Nagara, but her motives are very unclear. At first, she yells that no one can go home, but then she seduced Nagara’s rival, Asakaze who has immense power too, saying that Asakaze can lead them somewhere better. But can we go home though? Doesn’t matter, the whole class, like the peasants they are, followed her without a question. Hilariously, everyone got up Ms Aki’s party bus only to head nowhere, or rather, out of the of plot. After that, Ms Aki occasionally appears and makes the effort to obtain/destroy the routes to escape or just to do God’s errand. None of which affected the progress of Nagara. She too failed as an antagonist. What happened to her in the end? Gone like the wind. Lastly, the third failed antagonist, would be the crowd, the majority, the other classmates. Using the crowd as a force of opposition is quite common in any show really, so for the crowd to be unreasonably angry at Nagara for not being able to go home, is acceptable. Until… they don’t want to go back home. I was mind blown at that point. All the fuss of them gathering in a hall, rioting against Nagara, voicing their pent-up anger for thousands of years. Gone like the wind. Sonny Boy uses antagonism as a tool to spice up the story, making it feel like there’s a challenge for Nagara, but always ended up all bark and no bite. By the way, there was another antagonist named “War”, who killed countless classmates, he was disposed like garbage too. Rather than a surprise or realism, the way Sonny Boy handles its antagonists blatantly strikes me as lazy or plot convenience. Aside from antagonists, are the supporting characters, Mizuho and Nozomi. Indeed, Nagara is the true main character and his two girl friends are just side char. In fact, Nagara is the only well-developed character throughout the anime. Mizuho did not develop that much. Her character doesn’t have any problem other than having the tendency to jump between being a bitch and damsel in distress. Her cat issues and reliance thingy kind of just dissolved naturally. The other girl, Nozomi, is the manic pixie dream girl. Her role is solely to raise up Nagara, who was initially an indifferent, passive boy. She acts gloomy sometimes for teenage drama, and sometimes for her real life issues, but those issues were never talked about. The very next episode, she resets and becomes perfect again. Nozomi doesn’t develop at all due to the trope she’s playing. Ah, enough criticism. Time to say something nice at the end so I don’t look so bad, eh? Through the blatant use of worldbuilding and characters as plot tools, Sonny Boy manages to allow more freedom for creativity, paint the wildest imaginations and smoothly developed Nagara. Its unique direction which uses silence in most of the episodes to amplify the dialogues is something few anime dare to take. Soundtracks of distinct genres are used too, giving each episode a different vibe. It is also rare for anime to be so artistic at the same time talk about social topics, even though only on a surface level. Sonny Boy is definitely an outstanding anime. It is a shame that despite its simple and barebone presentation of social topics, a lot of overenthusiastic viewers often overinterpret it, giving it an image of being complex, confusing or pretentious. I guess Sonny Boy was right, the majority, the crowd, the peasants are all foolish creatures, and the world will not change because of them.